


Limbo

by therainbowgay18



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Biphobia, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Implied/Referenced Suicide, M/M, Possible Character Death, Scars, Self-Harm, Suicidal Thoughts
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-05
Updated: 2018-12-07
Packaged: 2019-07-25 09:34:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,345
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16194842
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/therainbowgay18/pseuds/therainbowgay18
Summary: Keith has been at death's door for years. His heart's been giving out little by little for years, and doctors' feel he might not live to see his nineteenth birthday. Not if he doesn't get a transplant soon. He's been slipping into Limbo every night, his own personal haven. Until Lance showed up there, and gives Keith a bit of a reality check.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Just a heads up: THERE WILL BE THREE ENDINGS, TWO OF WHICH ARE ALTERNATE.
> 
> Ending 1: the happy ending  
> Ending 2: angst galore  
> Ending 3: SO MUCH PAIN AND TEARS

Prologue

* * *

 

Keith was no stranger to the white expanse that invaded his dreams. It’d been going on for years. He’d dream about it so many times that it wasn’t weird anymore.

When your heart could give out any day, you don’t find certain things weird anymore.

Keith’s hand rested over his heart, the steel engraved bracelet on his wrist flashing his name, age, and congenital heart defect in red. He was twelve when his heart began to fail from a previously undiagnosed heart condition.

Keith had been on the transplant list for five years now, and Shiro started homeschooling him after he finished sixth grade. He took medication, regularly saw the cardiologist and his primary, and even wears his medical bracelet at all times.

Normally, when he enters this white expanse, it’s usually just him and him alone. Until tonight, that is. Another person stood in the white, brown hair mocha skin and a green jacket stood out against the blinding white.

The person turned, fingers linking together behind their head. Dark blue eyes met his, and for the first time, Keith didn’t feel alone like he did.

“Welcome to limbo.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oof, okay, I know it's been awhile since I posted this. A month and eleven days, if we're going into specifics. I've been busy with school and I just got the first chapter finished. But enjoy.
> 
> WARNING: Talk of suicide
> 
> please be cautious before proceeding. If you are/have been suicidal, I would NOT read this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second warning: DON'T READ IF YOU ARE/HAVE BEEN SUICIDAL.
> 
> There will be a flashback chapter at some point. I don't know when though.

“What? Limbo?”

They leaned slightly, almost like they were leaning against something that wasn’t there. Keith walked forward, but the person raised a hand, stopping him in his tracks.

“Yeah, this is limbo, buddy. Only reason you’d be here is if you’re either close to death or on your way out. No living human can get here.”

Keith thumbed the bracelet on his wrist, the metal cool to the touch. This bracelet was an ever constant reminder to those around him that his time could end without a moment’s notice.

His mortality had always been on the table and in the forefront of everyone he’s ever known’s minds.

“I have been for a long time.”

Warily, the person finally faced Keith, and Keith wrung his hands slightly.

“What’s killing you?”

Keith gave his wrist a shake, drawing their attention to the metal bracelet. He pursed his lips, his gaze drawn to the bracelet.

“Heart problems then. That’d do it, for sure.”

He started to turn away but was stopped by a hand on his shoulder.

“Wait, who are you? Up until this point, I’ve seen anyone here.”

“Maybe next time, mullet. For now, you should go. You don’t belong here.”

And with one shove, Keith tumbled back through what he can tell is the veil between this world and the living.

* * *

 

With a sharp gasp, Keith sat up. The heart monitor he wore was going haywire in the wake of his heart’s beating going wild. His door opened, revealing a half asleep Shiro and a wide awake Adam.

“Keith, are you alright? The monitor started going spastic.”

Adam, a doctor and Shiro’s fiancée, sat down on the bed next to him, taking his hand and pressing his fingers against his pulse. Adam was still in his clothes from work, meaning he just got home from working a shift.

“It’s a touch fast, but nothing to suggest it was failing. Does your chest hurt, Keith? Or are you short of breath?”

He shook his head no, and they both let out a soft sigh of relief. Adam pushed Keith’s hair out of his face, offering him a wary smile. He’s been around for a long time, first as an intern on Keith’s case, then watching over Keith as he spent nights in the hospital, and finally as the boyfriend/fiancée of his brother Shiro.

They’d become an unlikely family, and despite the circumstances that had brought them together, they loved more than anyone else could.

“I’m sorry I woke you, Shiro.”

He offered him a small smile, ruffling his hair as Adam took his free hand, his thumb running over the engagement ring on his left finger.

Keith hoped he lived to find a love like theirs.

Keith had been what brought them together, after all. Their families had thought they’d rushed a bit with the engagement, but they’d already been dating a year.

With his heart failing, and the uncertainty of if he’d get a donor before his heart gave out, there was nothing to lose.

* * *

 

Keith drank his small coffee, leaning against Adam. He was exhausted. Part of that was his heart problems, part of that was not sleeping properly.

The door opened to the ward, where’s Keith’s cardiologist’s office was located. Adam waved to one of the nurses on call, and lead Keith, still sipping his coffee, down the hall towards  the cardiologist’s office.

“Adam, I know it’s your day off. And that Keith has his appointment, but I was hoping you could take a patient’s charts with you? The doctor who took his case on had an accident.”

“Of course, Shay. Wait here, Keith. I’ll be right back.”

Keith leaned against the wall, swirling the little bit of coffee he had left before tossing the cup into the trash can. His appointment wasn’t for 20 minutes at least.

Might as well take a nap.

* * *

 

“So, this kid tried to kill himself? And he’s been in a medically induced coma since?”

“He was brought into the ER a month and a half ago when he overdosed on Vicodin and slit his wrists to speed up the process. His mother’s in the room if you wish to pop in and speak with her, perhaps for a moment while I fetch the files?”

Adam nodded, and Shay brought him to the room before heading back in the direction that they were heading in. He let out a breath, and slide the door open, closing it quietly behind him.

A woman of forty-five roughly looked up from the bedside, tears falling down her face. She had brown hair woven through with grey, tied back in a low bun.

She also looked like she hadn’t slept in weeks.

“Hello, ma’am. I am Dr. West, and I’ll be your son’s doctor until his primary has recovered…”

* * *

 

Keith was back in Limbo. And so was that kid that had shoved him out the night prior. He looked agitated, almost like he was straining to hear something.

“Is something wrong?”

He jumped, his concentration broken by Keith speaking up. The frustrated look was gone, replaced a look of… guilt? What could he possibly feel guilty about?

“Oh, you’re back. Great, awesome.”

He plopped down on the white expanse, his back facing Keith. With a sigh, but not wanting to fight, he sat down, too, leaning his back against his.

The kid stiffened for a moment, but eventually leaned against him, the two supporting each other. Neither spoke for a while, just breathing, or what could come close to breathing.

“What had you pissed off?”

He scoffed. “I’m very doubtful that’s what you truly want to ask.”

“I didn’t want to ask. Since it was your business and not mine.”

“The short story is, I messed up. Badly. And now the people I care about are suffering. I feel horrible. _But I felt so damn alone, and like no one cared, and-_ “

The weight shifted and he fell back, landing into Keith’s lap. He stared wide eyed, losing his ability to speak.

“I don’t know your name, but we make mistakes, even if in the moment we think it’s right, or the best thing we could do. _We’re_ _human_. Whatever you did, whenever you did it, _it was a mistake_.”

His throat worked itself, and then he let out a breath, like he’d been holding it since they met.

“My name is Lance.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're here at the end, then you either disregarded the warning/or the warning did not apply to you. Since you got here, I have changed the warnings on this to include character death, since this chapter talked about suicide a bit.
> 
> That part with Adam, that part wasn't even something I was thinking of doing until I typed it out. Also Hunk and Shay are older in this. And we will see Pidge & Matt at some point. I gotta include the holy Holt siblings in there somewhere.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lance and Keith start to get to know each other
> 
> Keith has a dream of an old memory, but the details are fuzzy
> 
> Lance knows more than he's letting on
> 
> Shiro and Adam are left with a predicament

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> || TRIGGER ||
> 
> || TALK OF SUICIDE ||
> 
> || DO NOT PROCEED ||
> 
> || IF THIS IS TRIGGERING ||
> 
> || FOR YOU! ||

_Lance…_ The name seemed familiar almost, but he wasn’t sure from where. It was on the tip of his tongue, but his brain couldn’t conjure up the place.

“I’m Keith.”

Lance sat up, narrowly avoiding Keith’s head. Keith stared at him as irritation settled into his shoulders. He reached a hand out, touching his shoulder tentatively.

“You okay, Lance?”

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine.”

Keith removed his hand, and noticed he was fading out. Lance peeked back at him.

“I think someone’s waking me up. I’ll see you later.”

“Yeah, later.”

Keith waved goodbye as Limbo faded out.

* * *

 

“Keith, are you sleeping?”

Keith rubbed his eyes, stretching. Adam had worry etched on his face, but he brushed it off. Adam had a handful of files in his hands.

“Yeah. Just a bit tired.”

Seeming to accept that answer, Adam motioned to the door, and Keith opened, a feeling of dread in his stomach. He hated coming to see his cardiologist.

* * *

 

“Are you serious, universe?”

Lance banged his fist on the ground, really wishing Keith hadn’t shown up here in Limbo in the first place.

“Of all the people, you pick the _one person who doesn’t remember me_! What kind of joke is this, seriously?”

He groaned, laying back on the ground to stare at the white abyss above him. The world was fucking cruel.

“He’s got heart problems. He doesn’t deserve his heart broken like this.”

* * *

 

When Keith arrived in limbo that night, he was surprised to find Lance asleep. He didn’t think it was possible to even sleep in limbo. But here he goes, proving him wrong.

Keith sat next to him, watching his chest rise and fall. It was so quiet, so unlike what he was used to. Lance was always awake when he arrived. It threw things off.

With a wary sigh, he laid down on his side, opposite of Lance. Unlike when he was awake, those lines of frustration and sadness were erased, leaving his face smooth and unbothered by whatever bothered him in the first place.

Keith brushed some hair back, his fingers brushing against his cheek as he did so. This scenario, this moment, felt too familiar, like they’ve been here before.

_But when? Where?_

Keith pulled his hand back, and with a soft huff, closed his eyes, falling into a sleep-like state.

* * *

 

_“Keith! Keith!”_

_Someone was calling for him, but the fog was too much. Too strong, too dense. He couldn’t see anything._

_“Keith, what’s wrong? Try and talk to me, dammit!”_

_He wanted to know who it was, shouting his name so desperately, worry lining their voice. The need was so great, it was like a fire inside him, burning and growing._

_“Keith!”_

* * *

 

Lance was woken by a sharp gasp, the sound of metal hitting the seemingly solid ground beneath him, and an almost choking noise.

He ground the palms of his hands into his eyes and then sat up, turning to face Keith. He looked like he was fighting for his breath, which, giving his heart condition, wouldn’t be surprising.

Lance nudged his shoulder, getting his attention.

“You alright?”

“I think so. Bad dream. Or I think it was, anyway? I don’t know.”

Lance bumped Keith’s shoulder with his, offering him a half-smile.

“Wanna talk about it? What was happening?”

“I’m…I’m not even sure. Someone was calling my name, and they sounded _so worried_. My chest hurt, like that day when we learned about my heart condition.”

“We?”

“Shiro, my adoptive father, and I. That was before he met Adam.”

Lance was quiet, leaning against Keith who, surprisingly, held his weight well. Keith leaned back, and the two supported each other, almost taking each other’s burdens.

“How old were you?” He asked softly, twisting the edges of his jacket.

“Twelve. Hell of a lot for a twelve year old to deal with.”

* * *

 

“God, this kid… I wish there was something I could do for him.”

“Are those the files of that attempted suicide case?”

Shiro sat on the bed gingerly, offering a cup of tea to Adam. He nodded, accepting the cup and taking a long sip from it. Files covered the bed, some open, some closed haphazardly.

“He’s been fighting off depression for the last year. His therapist also reports that he started missing appointments around seven months ago.”

“You said he OD’d on Vicodin, correct?”

“Yes, and slit his wrists, too. His mother said that the Vicodin was for his sister, who had torn a ligament in her knee five months ago. She’s a soccer player, and went down on her knee wrong, resulting in the tear.”

Shiro picked up a paper from the bed and balked at the name across the top.

“I know this kid. I’ve told you about him. He’s the one who got me when Keith had his first minor heart attack.”

“Wait, _that kid?_ Oh, god, Shiro…”

The question on their mind was one and the same:

**_How were they going to tell Keith?_ **

* * *

 

“Do you have any siblings?”

“A sister.”

“How old is she?”

“Fifteen, but she’s got an old soul.”

Keith chuckled as they laid next to each other. They faced each other, just casually talking, asking questions. Despite where they were, it felt normal.

“What happened to your parents?”

“My mom… She passed when I was a baby. And my dad… my dad passed away in an accident. He was a fire fighter, and a beam came down on him. Died of smoke inhalation and internal bleeding.”

Keith absently took Lance’s hand almost in his, toying with his fingers, giving him something to do, to distract him from the conversation slightly.

“Shiro keeps photos of him around, so I can at least know what he looked like. I was only two when he passed, too young to really remember him.”

He finally realized what he was doing, and attempted to pull away, but Lance held tight, stopping him. Keith levelled his gaze with Lance’s, curiosity lining his features.

“It’s okay, if you do that. It’s been too long since I’ve had physical contact with anyone.”

Keith resumed toying with Lance’s fingers, and the latter closed his eyes, breathing slowly, in and out.

“Would you like to know how I ended up here?”

Keith stilled, still holding Lance’s hand in his. It was so out of the blue, so sudden. Why would Lance want to bring it up now?

“Not today. You can tell me it when you’re actually ready. We’ve got time.”

* * *

 

Lance wasn’t so sure about that.

 


End file.
